Author Archive

Parashat Eikev August 20, 2022 | 23 Av 5782 Torah: Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25; Triennial 10:12-11:25 Haftarah: Isaiah 49:14-51:3 A Conduit of Blessing Ilana Kurshan In this week’s parashah Moshe prepares the people for their entry into Israel, extolling the virtues of the land they are about to conquer successfully: “For the Lord your God is bringing [...]

Parashat Vaetchanan August 13, 2022 | 16 Av 5782 Torah: Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11; Triennial 5:1-7:11 Haftarah: Isaiah 40:1-26 Moshe the Mother Ilana Kurshan In this week’s parashah we bear witness to the pathos of Moshe’s plea with God to allow him to enter the land of Israel. Moshe, in speaking to the people of Israel at [...]

Parashat Devarim August 6, 2022 | 9 Av 5782 Torah: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22; Triennial 2:31-3:22 Haftarah: Isaiah 1:1-27 Moshe’s Memoir Ilana Kurshan The Book of Deuteronomy, which we begin reading this week, presents an interesting paradox to the literary reader of the Bible. It is written in a different style than the earlier biblical books – [...]

Parashat Matot-Masei July 30, 2022 | 2 Av 5782 Torah: Numbers 30:2-36:13; Triennial 33:50-36:13 Haftarah: I Kings 9:2-9, 9:4-5a Matot: Marriage (and) Vows Ilana Kurshan Our parashah begins with the laws governing oaths and vows. The Torah teaches that both men and women may make vows, but whereas a man’s vows remain binding, a woman’s [...]

Parashat Pinchas July 23, 2022 | 24 Tammuz 5782 Torah: Torah Portion: Numbers 25:10-30:1; Triennial 28:16-30:1 Haftarah: Jeremiah 1:1-2:3 Moshe’s Forced Retirement Ilana Kurshan At the end of the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness, Moshe’s job is terminated prematurely. He is not ready to die, and he wishes that he could accompany the Israelites in [...]

Parashat Balak 16 July 2022 / 17 Tamuz 5782 Torah: Numbers 22:2-25:9; Triennial 22:39-25:9 Haftarah: Micah 5:6-6:8 The Unwanted Gaze Ilana Kurshan In this week’s parashah, the Moabite king Balak hires Bilaam, a famous sorcerer, to curse the Israelites encamped on the steppes of his land. Bilaam, who is able to speak only those words [...]

Parashat Hukkat July 9, 2022 | 10 Tamuz 5782 Torah: Numbers 19:1-22:1 | Triennial: 20:22-21:1 Haftarah: Judges 11:1-33 Spare the Rod Ilana Kurshan When my son Matan was four years old, I brought him to the pediatrician for an annual check-up. After a routine physical exam, the doctor moved on to the developmental part of [...]

Parashat Korach July 2, 2022 | 3 Tamuz 5782 Torah: Numbers 16:1-18:32 | Triennial: 15:8-15:41 Haftarah: I Samuel 17:25-17:32 Disputation Without Denigration Ilana Kurshan Our parashah tells the story of Korach and his followers, who lead a rebellion to undermine the leadership of Moshe and Aaron in the wilderness. God responds by orchestrating a ceremony [...]

Parashat Sh’lach June 25, 2022 | 26 Sivan 5782 Torah: Numbers 13:1-15:41 | Triennial: 15:8-15:41 Haftarah: Joshua 2:1-24 Thoughts Upon Riding a Camel Under the Knee of the Dead Ilana Kurshan Our parashah is bookended by the story of the spies and the commandment of tzitzit. At the beginning of the parashah, God instructs Moshe [...]

Parashat: Beha’alotcha June 18, 2022 | 19 Sivan 5782 Torah: Numbers 8:1-12:16 | Triennial: 10:35-12:16 Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7 Let the Lamps Give Light Ilana Kurshan This week’s parashah describes the appointment of seventy elders to help judge the people. As God tells Moshe, “I will draw upon the spirit that is on you and put it upon them,” so [...]

Parashat Nasso June 11, 2022 | 12 Sivan 5782 Torah: Numbers 4:21-7:89 | Triennial: 7:1-7:89 Haftarah: Judges 13:2-25 Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow Ilana Kurshan Our parashah describes the laws of the Nazir, one who elects to take a vow of consecration to God for a certain period of time. Such an individual is required to [...]

Parashat Bamidbar June 3, 2022 | 4 Sivan 5782 Torah: Numbers 1:1-4:20 | Triennial: 3:14-4:20 Haftarah: Hosea 2:1-22 Flags at the Shabbat Table Ilana Kurshan Every Friday night my family sits at a long rectangular table set for Shabbat. It is the only night of the week when we all sit down to eat together [...]

Parashat Bechukotai May 27, 2022 | 26 Iyyar 5782 Torah: Leviticus 26:3-27:34 | Triennial: 27:1-27:34 Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19-17:14 Showered in Blessing Ilana Kurshan Parashat Bechukotai consists primarily of a litany of blessings and curses that will befall the Jewish people depending on whether or not we obey God. The curses are quite long and graphic, [...]